OPAT helping patients to self-administer IV antibiotics at home

These patient information films have been produced for the Infectious Diseases Department here at Addenbrooke's Hospital. They are aimed at patients who have been advised by their clinical team to take an intravenous antibiotic course at home to treat their infection. These patients have chosen to self-administer the medication with the support of the Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Team (OPAT). There are 8 films in total, each one for a different antibiotic treatment.

The films, which are introduced by Dr Emma Nickerson on behalf of the OPAT team, are designed to complement the detailed instructions that are provided to them in an information leaflet. Each film guides and reassures patients that they are following all of the instructions correctly, taking them through the practical steps to safely carry out the procedure in their own home. This is a new 'at home' trial which has already proven to be both successful and very popular with patients taking part.

Emma Commented: "the self-administration videos which I gave a talk around at the national OPAT conference were a huge success. I received masses of compliments, many other trusts are keen to use them and there were many comments about how professional they are. The patients who have viewed them have all said it was really helpful for learning."

Here is just one example:

Self-administration of Daptomycin